Germany: Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats (SPD) suffered a stinging setback in the European elections yesterday winning just over 21 per cent of the vote, the worst-ever result in direct European elections.
The Christian Democrats (CDU) were jubilant after winning the election with 46 per cent, according to exit polls for German public television. But the big winners yesterday were Germany's smaller parties, with an 11 per cent vote for the Green Party junior coalition partner, a 4 per cent gain.
The liberal Free Democrats (FDP) polled 6 per cent, enough to return to the European Parliament. But after a listless election campaign, just 40 per cent voters turned out to vote according to exit polls, a slight drop on the 1999 election.
A lethal atmosphere settled over the SPD headquarters yesterday evening as the disastrous results began to sink in as an expression of voter fury at government reforms. "The SPD is a strong party and we stand together, even in defeat," said Mr Klaus Uwe Benneter, the general secretary of the SPD, who cut a stricken, sweaty figure when he faced the media alone.
"All European governments, whatever hue, were punished in these elections. We live in insecure times and any government that engages itself with reform is under pressure," he said, vowing that the government would continue its reforms. The SPD's leading Europe candidate Mr Martin Schulz, notoriously compared to a concentration camp guard by Silvio Berlusconi, said the poor result was down to an election where "not Europe but other issues dominated".
Ms Rebecca Harms, the lead candidate for the Greens, disagreed, saying that the common campaign by European Green parties proved it is possible to win votes in European elections without focusing on the domestic politics.
"We took themes that are relevant in Europe, like human rights, peace and environmental protection, where the European Parliament already has considerable powers, and made them our own with success," she said.
The conservatives had a second reason to celebrate yesterday after retaining power in elections results in the central state of Thuringia, another poor performance for the SPD which saw it fall into third place behind the reformed communists.
The conservatives savoured their wins as further signs of a change in the tide in Germany that could lead to their return to power after the 2006 general election.
